Years of Democrats snatched defeat from the jaws of victory have made people nervous and irrational.
To be true, the hate and condemnation on independents go wayyy back. A lot of the most significant progress that ever happened was born out of independents who championed progressive ideas which was eventually picked up by one of the two major parties.
The squashing of the little guy is a staple of American democracy, and is one of the reasons how the people itself creates the circumstances for two-party politics. This is not an American thing, but more a indicator of what happens when people get trapped in a cult personality. That can happen when people align their being and their values with that of the group they have signed up with, and then anything else is the opposition.
I'd argue that it is the job of an insurgent to disrupt the status quo, whatever one may think of that. And in doing that, a lot of things are being done to make themselves someone who can not be ignored.
Let us remember that the democratic party blaming Nader on Gore losing is a lie itself has created. In truth, Gore didn't have the chops to be president, and in doing so, the party blamed Nader, the independent with 3% of the votes as the deciding factor. It chose to ignore that Gore would have president had he just won his own state. It chose to ignore that Americas two party structure has created the bedlam for choosing a moderate president as the winner, due it being able to pull deciding votes from across the aisle.
I just don't buy the whole idealogy that Sanders is this egotistical career politician who is only out for himself. He knows he has lost. What he is doing is trying to be a rabble rouser so the dems won't ignore him. He want more, and so far Hillary is not sweating far enough to give Bernie some more goodies.
She might just thatcher him and not move an inch, or the party might give him something he really sees as valuable.
Hillary also has a chance of moving on some position like nation wide legalization of weed or acknowledge that steps needs to be taken with Israel.
I'm not worried that Sanders hurt Clinton. Registered dems love Clinton, and when Obama comes out and endorses her, she got this thing covered. It's going to be fine.
More people should support Sanders in doing his thing. Clinton is a big girl who can handle it. Sanders being uncomfortable about her speech fees is a warm up to what Trump is gonna do to her. And in the end, Sanders has dedicated himself to stopping Trump, and republican leadership values for 30 years.
It really strikes me as childish that people become so offended over their candidate being jabbed at. Clinton was fucking vile against Obama in 08. It's just the nature of the beast, and particularly when you're the unknown underdog you use whatever guerilla tactics you have. That is just the nature of being a political insurgent.
If Sanders run third party.. I just don't see it. What he really should do is to try and create a social democratic faction within the democratic party or make his own party and carry on the grassroots movement. I have my doubts if many Sanders supporters are really in it for the long haul. I'd find it weak if they are not dedicated beyond the election.
Sanders himself has said that him being president without a massive, massive political uprising is not gonna change shit. His opponents will be proven right if Sanders movement doesn't live on after that. They could start with helping the fast food workers get to be unionized and spreading the minimum wage issue. I still think Sanders is a good guy. He is not out to destroy the dems. Non establishment just have radical ideas, many of whom will never go into fruition, but if the past is an indicator, what he is championing now may be picked up by others within the party years from now. The liberty party was incredible important in shaping of progress in America, and this can be seen in other countries as well.